diff --git a/src/containers/gui.jsx b/src/containers/gui.jsx
index 62ded94da79b741ab56c54b7478557c70f76da02..a5729f901979dd51900e06c2c8cc8283af8c60b5 100644
--- a/src/containers/gui.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/gui.jsx
@@ -65,14 +65,13 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
         const {
             children,
             fetchingProject,
-            loadingStateVisible,
             projectData, // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
             vm,
             ...componentProps
         } = this.props;
         return (
             <GUIComponent
-                loading={fetchingProject || this.state.loading || loadingStateVisible}
+                loading={fetchingProject || this.state.loading}
                 vm={vm}
                 {...componentProps}
             >
@@ -87,7 +86,6 @@ GUI.propTypes = {
     feedbackFormVisible: PropTypes.bool,
     fetchingProject: PropTypes.bool,
     importInfoVisible: PropTypes.bool,
-    loadingStateVisible: PropTypes.bool,
     previewInfoVisible: PropTypes.bool,
     // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types
     projectData: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.object, PropTypes.string]),
@@ -102,7 +100,6 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => ({
     costumesTabVisible: state.editorTab.activeTabIndex === COSTUMES_TAB_INDEX,
     feedbackFormVisible: state.modals.feedbackForm,
     importInfoVisible: state.modals.importInfo,
-    loadingStateVisible: state.modals.loadingProject,
     previewInfoVisible: state.modals.previewInfo,
     projectData: state.vm.projectData,
     soundsTabVisible: state.editorTab.activeTabIndex === SOUNDS_TAB_INDEX
diff --git a/src/containers/load-button.jsx b/src/containers/load-button.jsx
index 3587bfbdb84901368fb7f030cbaad098775026d9..a5e90a2556a3e28fecee4e7f15de8ddd9c9fe9d1 100644
--- a/src/containers/load-button.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/load-button.jsx
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import React from 'react';
 import {connect} from 'react-redux';
 
 import LoadButtonComponent from '../components/load-button/load-button.jsx';
-
-import {openLoadingProject} from '../reducers/modals';
 import {setProjectData} from '../reducers/vm';
 
 class LoadButton extends React.Component {
@@ -22,7 +20,6 @@ class LoadButton extends React.Component {
         };
     }
     handleChange (e) {
-        this.props.openLoadingState();
         const reader = new FileReader();
         reader.onload = () => this.props.setNewProjectData(reader.result, null);
         reader.readAsArrayBuffer(e.target.files[0]);
@@ -36,7 +33,6 @@ class LoadButton extends React.Component {
     render () {
         if (this.state.loadingError) throw new Error(`Failed to load project: ${this.state.errorMessage}`);
         const {
-            openLoadingState, // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
             setNewProjectData, // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
             ...props
         } = this.props;
@@ -52,14 +48,12 @@ class LoadButton extends React.Component {
 }
 
 LoadButton.propTypes = {
-    openLoadingState: PropTypes.func,
     setNewProjectData: PropTypes.func
 };
 
 const mapStateToProps = () => ({});
 
 const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => ({
-    openLoadingState: () => dispatch(openLoadingProject()),
     setNewProjectData: (projectData, projectId) => dispatch(setProjectData(projectData, projectId))
 });
 
diff --git a/src/lib/project-loader-hoc.jsx b/src/lib/project-loader-hoc.jsx
index 1f096f6600039d37ded1f0448aaec98a1507a614..fdf79edcff2a3b2c25914b3b5c0b6c08a75a4094 100644
--- a/src/lib/project-loader-hoc.jsx
+++ b/src/lib/project-loader-hoc.jsx
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const ProjectLoaderHOC = function (WrappedComponent) {
                 // Replace URL hash without triggering a hash change event
                 history.replaceState({}, document.title,
                     projectId ? `./#${projectId}` : '.');
-
+                if (projectId === null) return; // load button triggered this and is already calling setProjectData
                 this.setState({fetchingProject: true}, () => {
                     storage
                         .load(storage.AssetType.Project, projectId, storage.DataFormat.JSON)
diff --git a/src/reducers/modals.js b/src/reducers/modals.js
index 2a3772e59935d359a8345c8a422cf6a666b20ec1..ba038ff3464e2d3c33373e5fb54f9d92fe1544f3 100644
--- a/src/reducers/modals.js
+++ b/src/reducers/modals.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const MODAL_COSTUME_LIBRARY = 'costumeLibrary';
 const MODAL_EXTENSION_LIBRARY = 'extensionLibrary';
 const MODAL_FEEDBACK_FORM = 'feedbackForm';
 const MODAL_IMPORT_INFO = 'importInfo';
-const MODAL_LOADING_PROJECT = 'loadingProject';
 const MODAL_PREVIEW_INFO = 'previewInfo';
 const MODAL_SOUND_LIBRARY = 'soundLibrary';
 const MODAL_SPRITE_LIBRARY = 'spriteLibrary';
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ const initialState = {
     [MODAL_EXTENSION_LIBRARY]: false,
     [MODAL_FEEDBACK_FORM]: false,
     [MODAL_IMPORT_INFO]: false,
-    [MODAL_LOADING_PROJECT]: false,
     [MODAL_PREVIEW_INFO]: true,
     [MODAL_SOUND_LIBRARY]: false,
     [MODAL_SPRITE_LIBRARY]: false,
@@ -75,10 +73,6 @@ const openImportInfo = function () {
     analytics.pageview('modals/import');
     return openModal(MODAL_IMPORT_INFO);
 };
-const openLoadingProject = function () {
-    analytics.pageview('modals/loading');
-    return openModal(MODAL_LOADING_PROJECT);
-};
 const openPreviewInfo = function () {
     analytics.pageview('/modals/preview');
     return openModal(MODAL_PREVIEW_INFO);
@@ -110,9 +104,6 @@ const closeFeedbackForm = function () {
 const closeImportInfo = function () {
     return closeModal(MODAL_IMPORT_INFO);
 };
-const closeLoadingProject = function () {
-    return closeModal(MODAL_LOADING_PROJECT);
-};
 const closePreviewInfo = function () {
     return closeModal(MODAL_PREVIEW_INFO);
 };
@@ -132,7 +123,6 @@ export {
     openExtensionLibrary,
     openFeedbackForm,
     openImportInfo,
-    openLoadingProject,
     openPreviewInfo,
     openSoundLibrary,
     openSpriteLibrary,
@@ -142,7 +132,6 @@ export {
     closeExtensionLibrary,
     closeFeedbackForm,
     closeImportInfo,
-    closeLoadingProject,
     closePreviewInfo,
     closeSpriteLibrary,
     closeSoundLibrary,